Tabula Rasa: Adventures In A New World

The very tips of Beryl’s nimble fingers aimlessly drum against her Draconic lover’s knuckles. “Soo...” Her gaze sweeps across this busy street, hardly sparing any of the people or places she sees more than a brief glance. “Wha’re we lookin’ fer first?”

Krvavy simply shrugs her shoulders. A gentle squeeze of her hand forces her to give an actual answer. “Anything that is light and easy to carry around.”

“Savin’ the pots and pans fer last then, aye~?” Beryl’s elbow bumps into the barbarian’s side, bright and twinkling eyes playfully peering up at her taller lover.

“Probably, yeah.” The Drakling honestly replies, finding herself faintly frowning. She is not looking forward to carrying all of that cookware for the entire week it will take to return home. “At the very least... we’ll be buying some towels before getting any of that stuff. They shouldn’t clang together too much if we can wrap them up tight.”

Beryl’s long and pointed ears subtly droop towards the ground. “Ach, we’re goin’ ta be zippin’ around the city all day, aren’t we...?”

Krvavy simply quirks her brow. “You chose to come along. So you can’t complain.”

“Nah, Ah can complain.” Beryl is quick to disagree, her tone almost exaggeratedly serious. “Ah came ‘ere ta meet the woman who seduced ya. Me ‘elpin’ out wit’ the shoppin’ is just an extra kindness on my part. One which ya should be quite thankful fer, my dearest love.”

A slight smile plays at the corners of Krvavy’s lips. “Sure, sure.” She nonchalantly shrugs, thumb tracing small circles on the back of Beryl’s hand. “And speaking of Rina... what do you think of her?”

That tomboy of an Elf remains silent for a few long seconds. “Well...” she slowly exhales, “Ah like ‘er.”

The barbarian blinks, just a bit blankly. “Is... that all?”

“Aye,” Beryl lazily nods, sundress swishing around her toned thighs as she effortlessly keeps pace with her longer legged lover. “Wha’ else do ya expect me ta say?”

“I mean... I asked for your thoughts, so I’d like to actually hear them...?” The Drakling trails off, looking expectantly at her Elf.

“Alrighty...” Beryl takes a moment to find her words, the drumming of her fingers slowing to a stop. “Rina is... an incredibly beautiful woman. Really, ‘ave ya seen ‘er with absolutely no makeup on? She doesn’t need any o’ tha’ stuff ta look gorgeous. So its no surprise tha’ she seduced ya wit’ basically no effort on ‘er part~.” Those dexterous fingers give the Drakling’s hand a soft squeeze. “O’ course, she isn’t just easy on the eyes. Rina is also intelligent and capable and, most importantly, quite fun ta talk ta. Ah imagine tha’ she’d easily be able ta become close friends wit’ each and every one o’ yer girls.”

Krvavy’s carnivorous teeth lightly chew at the inside of her cheek. “Why do I feel like there is a ‘but’ coming up?”

“Because ya know me so well, my dearest love~.” A warm, beaming smile fills the Wood Elf woman’s face, caramel coloured cheek nuzzling into her barbaric lover’s barely covered chest. If not for a thin layer of green fabric, she’d be pressed right up against some pale skin. More than she already is, at least.

As comfortable as Krvavy’s current clothes are, both the skimpy top and tight pants having been tailor made just for her... It wouldn’t hurt if she got another, more modest, outfit. Then again... she’d only really wear it while out shopping like this. So that’d be a bit of a waste of money...

Beryl gently shakes her head. “Rina is nearly perfect,” she continues on, “but fer one thing: the fact tha’ she is a Countess. Tha’ just makes ‘er a forbidden fruit. Delicious and wonderful, aye, but also out o’ our reach. We can’t take ‘er ‘ome, we can’t keep ‘er. So she can’t really be one o’ yer girls.”

“Yeah...” The Drakling very slowly sighs. “Her being a whole week of travelling away does make it a bit tough for her to properly be a part of our relationship...”

“Aye, but there’s no reason we can’t still enjoy ‘er as best we can.” The tanned tomboy’s serious tone grows slightly more playful. “Or, rather, there’s no reason tha’ ya can’t enjoy ‘er as best as ya can~.”

“Trying to act like you aren’t ‘enjoying her’ just as much as I am?” Krvavy skeptically asks, her emerald eyes peering down into the Elf’s blue-green pair.

“Ach, no, no~! Ah’d never lie tha’ blatantly~!” Beryl gently whacks the barbarian’s bare abs, her touch lingering for a good few seconds longer than is proper. “No, Ah’m just not goin’ ta be by yer side each and every time tha’ ya come ta this city~. Maybe every now and then, but not every time. Ah only ‘ave so much patience fer all this ‘ustle and bustle, fer all these people.” The faintest hint of bitter disdain enters that tomboy’s tone, her head turning to the side. “Wouldn’t want ta sour my view o’ the place tha’ Rina calls ‘ome...”

“Fair enough.” Krvavy shrugs, her voice lowering into an idle mutter. “Maybe I should bring one of the others next time...?”

This wonderful Wood Elf’s long and pointed ears twitch, having no trouble picking up those words despite the hustle and bustle of the city around them. “Maybe,” she shrugs, the straps of her basically empty backpack resting comfortably atop her mostly bare shoulders. “But then ya’d ‘ave ta deal wit’ the same issues and stresses tha’ led ta me bein’ the one ta accompany ya.”

“Right... I guess that I could carry Inanna most of the way...” Though that would, of course, limit how much they could buy and bring back home. Which kind of defeats the whole point of coming to Raseyne in the first place. A fact that the practical Dwarf would no doubt point out. “Thea is probably the only one who would really want to go through all the trouble just to visit Rina, but...”

“Ya can’t exactly flaunt around a missin’ girl.” Beryl finishes that thought, giving her Draconic lover’s hand a soft squeeze. “Wha’ a shame. Really sounds like ya are stuck wit’ me~.”

Krvavy quite seriously nods to that. “Yeah, guess I am.”

“Oy!” The tanned tomboy grins even as she puts on a mildly outraged act. “Ya can at least try ta sound ‘appy about tha’!”

“Why? If I’m stuck with you, then I might as well just take you for granted.” A subdued smirk plays at Krvavy’s lips as she meets her sweet berry’s gaze. “That way I’ll be in for a rude awakening when you finally have had enough of my shit. A good chance for some proper character development, that’ll be.”

“Ha~! Ya’re so weird~!” Beryl playfully bonks her head into the barbarian’s boob. She could have aimed for a bicep instead, but... “Like Ah would ever get fed up wit’ ya~!”

“You are lucky that I’m not going to take that as a challenge.”

The Elf lifts her chin high, looking so arrogant and proud that it almost makes one forget just how much of a pervert she is. “Because ya know tha’ ya wouldn’t be able ta do it~!”

Krvavy simply rolls her eyes at that, even as she continues to smile.

“Ach,” Beryl makes a rather unhappy noise, her upper lip pulled back into a slightly disgusted scowl. “Just ‘ow can these people live like this...?”

The Drakling idly shrugs... and immediately regrets doing so, having to readjust the backpack strap that decided to uncomfortably dig into her shoulder. “Well, I don’t really know how Raseyne compares to other cities around here... but it seems like a pretty nice place. The smell isn’t too bad. And we haven’t seen any corpses laying about.”

“Ah know, Ah know... Ah’ve seen far worse places than this. As... as ‘ave ya.” Beryl gently shakes her head, letting a soft sigh escape past her parted lips. “But still... People aren’t meant ta live in a corral o’ brick and... and plaster. Wha’ do all o’ these people even do all day? Just walk from one street over ta another, again and again? Because they can’t all be craftsmen or servants fer the rich.”

“That... is actually a good question.” Krvavy turns her head to the side, taking a look around. If this was a more modern city, and not what is basically a medieval fantasy one, then she’d just assume that most of these people had boring office jobs where they spend more time trying to look busy than actually doing work. Either that or they would be the ones unfortunate enough to work in retail. Or maybe delivery...

But not everyone in Raseyne can have those types of jobs, even if there are a lot of shops all over the place...

“Ah suppose we can ask Rina later. If we care enough about the answer, tha’ is.” The tanned tomboy casually comments, before suddenly perking up. “Oh! Is tha’ the place ya’re lookin’ fer?”

Krvavy glances in the direction that her Elf is pointing. “Yeah.” She nods, spotting the hanging sign that marks the store ahead as the same one she visited the last time she was in this city.

Beryl’s ears wiggle just a bit, her mood steadily rising once more. “Ya know, yer choice of ‘gifts’ is quite cruel.” That tomboy quite plainly states.

“Huh?” The barbarian blinks and raises a brow, turning her confused gaze towards the Wood Elf woman walking so close by her side. “I haven’t even told you what I’m here to pick up. If it even is ready to pick up...”

“Aye, tha’ is the cruel part!” An exasperated groan accompanies those words, this Elf overly exaggerating her reaction. “All ya’ve said is tha’ it is a book o’ all things, and tha’ it is fer Thea o’ all people! Come on, can’t ya give me a bit more info than tha’!?”

The slightly befuddled expression that briefly filled this barbarian’s face quickly fades away, replaced with a dry and rather unimpressed look. “Really?” She sighs and shakes her head. “You’re just being impatient? You know what? Just for that, I’m not going to let you know what this gift is until we get home. You can learn about it at the same time Thea does.”

Those long and pointed ears jump up, pointing towards the sky. “Ach, are ya serious?!” A little bit of dread dulls the Elf’s eyes as her Draconic lover simply nods. “Tha’ is just mean!”

Krvavy doesn’t even bother to deny that accusation. “If it makes you feel better, I think you will like the surprise.”

“Tha’ does not make me feel better.” Beryl blandly returns, bark-brown brow knitting together. “Tha’ just makes the wait even worse, in fact.”

“Well then, you should have thought about that before being impatient and calling me cruel.” The soft jingle of a bell rings through the air as Krvavy pushes opens the door to their destination, holding it open long enough for both herself and her sweet berry to step inside that bookshop. “You could have just waited a couple minutes.”

A cute pout plays at Beryl’s pursed lips, almost making it hard to believe that she has been alive for over a century and a half. “Ya’re not even goin’ ta let me look over yer shoulder, are ya...?”

“You aren’t tall enough for that.” The Drakling casually returns. “But even if you were... no.”

“Ach, alright.” The tomboyish Elf relents with a sigh, knowing well enough that she won’t be able to change Krvavy’s mind. “Ah’ll busy myself by givin’ this place a good look around. Doubt Ah’ll see anythin’ Ah’d want, but who knows...?”

Krvavy takes a deep breath as her Beryl walks away, using these few seconds of solitude to muster up the courage needed to head on over towards the counter nestled in the far side of the store. She really hopes that the book is ready. She really hopes that she can just pay for it and leave. The fact that she is here to buy a sleazy romance novel is embarrassing enough, but if it wasn’t ready... Well, she doesn’t want to come across as eager, or anything...

Steeling her growing nerves, Krvavy reaches out and rings the silver bell resting in front of her.

Ding!

Just as before, the Drakling winces as that sharp and clear sound pierces right into her ears, echoing around in her head.

But unlike last time, Krvavy doesn’t need to wait very long before the door behind this counter swings open and someone steps through it.

“Yeah, how can we help you?” A rather bored looking woman, who appears to be in her early twenties at most, asks in an incredibly unenthusiastic voice. She idly brushes a strand of black hair from her face while lazily looking Krvavy up and down, showing absolutely no emotion as she does so.

A very light tap tap tap tap can be heard as Krvavy’s clawed toes anxiously click against the floor. She takes a deep breath and quickly exhales, ready to rip this ‘bandage’ off. “I ordered a book a few weeks ago and was wondering if it was ready yet...?”

The bookstore employee blankly stares at this anxious barbarian, looking utterly apathetic as she slowly pulls a ledger our from beneath the counter. “What is your name and what did you order?”

“Krvavy,” the Drakling immediately answers, unable to keep her cheeks from gaining a slight bit of colour as she forces the next part out. “And I’m here for... Love Upon th–”

“Oh?” The seemingly emotionally dead employee comes to life in an instant. A wide, knowing smile spreads across her pallid face. “Yes, I see it. How lucky you are. I just finished copying that last night. It is quite good, for such a trashy story~. A welcome change of pace from the boring bullshit I normally have to work with.”

A slight feeling of lightheadedness washes over Krvavy, this already awkward social interaction only growing more uncomfortable by the second. “Uh, so –?”

“Now I see why you asked for such specific modifications~.” A worryingly intense gleam enters this employees grey eyes as she leans further forward, elbows pressing onto the countertop. “Quite a few similarities that I’m seeing in front of me~. So, does that mean you also have a big, girthy co–~?”

“Olya?”

The young clerk jumps and spins around, glaring at the much older woman standing in the doorway behind her. “Gran! I’m dealing with a customer!” She whines, her voice just a little shaky.

That elderly woman squints vaguely towards the barbarian, before turning back towards her granddaughter. “Oh, sorry dear. I was just wondering if you have seen my glasses?”

“Gran...” The employee’s shoulders sag slightly. “They’re on your head...”

“Oh?” Weathered fingers reach above a head of grey hair, brushing against the rather thick glasses resting up there. “Oh, silly me. Thank you dear, and sorry for the interruption.”

“Ugh...” an exasperated groan escapes past the lips of that black-haired clerk. “They are always on her head... Decades of ‘losing’ them, and she still never checks there...” With a very long sigh, the employee turns back to Krvavy. “Wait just a minute, I’ll go get your book...”

Krvavy just stands there awkwardly, not entirely certain how to deal with... everything that just happened. Were she not already embarrassed about being here to buy what is basically just porn, then maybe she would have appreciated the obvious flirting...

“Here.” The young woman returns with a book in hand, its cover proudly emblazoned with the words ‘Love Upon the Icy Shores’. “Do you have the other half of the payment?” She blankly asks, hardly reacting as Krvavy places the necessary coins down onto the counter. “And do you want it packaged?”

“Yes.” The Drakling nods, feeling considerably less awkward as the employee returns to her seemingly emotionally dead state.

A rather soft looking fabric is quickly wrapped around the book, before being covered up by a much more tarp-like layer. Some simple twine is then tied tightly around it all. “Here you go. Thank you for your business. Do you have anything else that you’d like to order...?” The slightest hint of hope can be heard in this young clerk’s last few words.

“Uh... No...?” Krvavy turns to the side. “Beryl?” She calls out, her voice loud enough to carry across the store but not quite at the volume of a proper shout. This might not be a library, but it feels enough like one to deserve at least an attempt at keeping a hushed tone. “Find anything you like?”

“Nope...!” The Elf remains hidden somewhere between the rows of shelves as she all but yells back.

The black-haired employee raises an eyebrow, though still looks just as bored as before.

“Maybe next time.” Krvavy shrugs and pick up the bound book, securely placing it into her backpack. “Thanks.”

A teasing twinkle dances across Beryl’s blue-green eyes as she rejoins her Draconic lover at the door to this book store. “Soo... flirtin’ wit’ the cashier, were ya~?”

Krvavy pauses mid-step, narrowed gaze snapping towards that Elf of hers. “Eavesdropper.”

“Not on purpose~.” The tanned tomboy grins at that accusation, grabbing back onto the Drakling’s hand as the two of them exit back into the street. “But really, don’t ya worry about yer surprise bein’ ruined: Ah didn’t ‘ear anythin’. Ah just ‘appened ta look over at the right time ta see tha’ girl leanin’ over the counter. She looked quite ‘ungry~. So were ya flirtin’ wit’ ‘er, or was wha’ever ya bought interestin’ enough tha’ she came onta ya all on ‘er own~?”

Definitely the latter, but that might count as a hint, so... “She... just appreciated that I didn’t order a boring book. Because she is the one who had to make this copy.” The blush burning through Krvavy’s cheeks kind of makes it hard to believe her excuse.

A detail which this Elf quite obviously picks up on, if the way her ears are wildly wiggling is anything to go by. “Sure, sure~.” Beryl breezily replies. “Tha’ is definitely the whole truth, my dearest love~. Ah believe ya~.”

“Was there really nothing in there that caught your attention?” Krvavy rather abruptly, and entirely unsubtly, tries to change the topic.

“Avoidin’ givin’ me a proper answer, are ya~?” Beryl teasingly asks, both of her hands clasping onto Krvavy’s own.

The Drakling stares deep into those bright and beautiful blue-green eyes. “Obviously.”

“Well, alright, if tha’ is ‘ow ya want ta be...” The tanned tomboy exaggeratedly sighs. “Ah’ll be the better woman ‘ere then and answer yer question: no.”

“Really? Was there nothing that you were even a little interested in?” A slight bit of skepticism enters the disbelieving Drakling’s tone. There were a lot of different things in there. Plenty of boring stuff, sure, but there was still a lot of variety on display...

“Ach, nothin’ interestin’ enough fer me ta want ta buy. There were some cookbooks and gardenin’ manuals tha’ might ‘ave been worth at least readin’, but... Those’d be a bit redundant.” The Wood Elf woman simply shrugs. “Ah doubt there is anythin’ a ‘uman book could teach me about gardenin’. And while Adeline might ‘ave liked ta look through a cookbook, Ah doubt we’d ‘ave enough ingredients ta follow most o’ those recipes.”

The barbarian blinks, the corners of her lips ever so slightly curling upwards. “I didn’t give you very much time to have a look around in there, did I?”

“Wha’ is tha’ supposed ta mean, my dearest love?” Beryl’s beautiful eyes narrow into thin slits as she stares up at her not so innocently smiling lover.

Sunlight gleams off Krvavy’s carnivorous teeth as she meets her Elf’s suspicious gaze. She could at least explain that what she said wasn’t a subtle insult, or... “You know, I think it is about time for lunch.”

“Oy!”

The Drakling’s horned head tilts to the side. “What? Aren’t you getting hungry too~?”

“Tsk,” the Elf clicks her tongue in mock defeat. “Ya are a cruel, cruel Dragon, my dearest love...”

“Hhaaaahhhhhh...”

“Everythin’ alright, my dearest love?” Beryl asks, a note of worry in her voice as she gives Krvavy’s hand a gentle squeeze for the... the hundredth...? Thousandth...? Millionth time today.

A faintly fatigue shrug accompanies Krvavy’s response. “Just getting a bit tired of being around all of these people...”

“Aye, Ah get ya. It’s ‘ard ta think properly wit’ all those different voices and noises fillin’ the air.” Beryl pulls the Drakling’s arm further into her embrace, all but hugging onto it. “There’re just a few more things on our list, so ‘old on there, my dearest love. We’re nearly done wanderin’ about this city.”

Krvavy simply sighs and nods her head.

The two lovers continue on through these mildly busy streets. Their eyes trail over the various buildings that line the road, looking for shops that might have one of the few things they need. But it doesn’t seem like they’re in the right part of town...

“Ya know, maybe it’s best tha’ we didn’t come ‘ere in time fer the festival.” The tomboyish Elf idly muses, drawing her Draconic lover’s attention. “We would ‘ave ‘ad some fun, aye, but the whole place’d’ve been even more crowded than this.”

“Yeah.” Krvavy can’t help but agree, pausing for just a moment to glare at some random stranger who dared to step too close. Her thick tail flicks to the side as that person quickly scampers off. “Kind of glad we missed it.”

A slightly wistful look flits across Beryl’s face. “Would’a been nice ta ‘ave won some prizes though.”

“What makes you think that we would’ve won anything?” The Drakling curiously asks, that tail of hers twisting to the side and curling around her sweet berry’s waist... as best it can with that backpack in the way, at least.

“Come on, my dearest love, why wouldn’t we?” The Wood Elf returns, preening so pridefully as she hugs her lover’s strong arm right up against her covered chest, the thin layer of fabric that is her sundress hardly keeping them apart. “Ya really think tha’ these pathetic city folk could beat us?”

“Carnival games are always rigged.” Comes Krvavy’s predictably pessimistic response.

“Ach, Ah’m not talkin’ about the games. Ah’m talkin’ about the contests.” Beryl dismissively waves her free hand through the air. “Just ‘ow many o’ these decadent ‘umans do ya think could even compete wit’ a proper Wood Elf like myself when it comes ta usin’ a bow? And just ‘ow many would be able ta rival ya in a contest o’ strength?”

“A lot of people live in this city, Beryl.” The Drakling dryly points out. “There are bound to be some who are stronger than me and better at archery than you. We are very far from being the best of the best.”

“Aye, Ah know, but those kinds o’ people’d probably be soldiers and mercenaries. And would they bother ta go ta every single one o’ these contests over the entire week o’ festivities? All so tha’ they could win a bunch o’ trinkets and cute childrens toys?” The tanned tomboy pauses for only a single second before answering her own question. “No. So unless we got very unlucky, we’d just be competin’ wit’ normal people. And we would crush them beneath our ‘eels!”

“Fair enough, I guess.” Krvavy lazily shrugs her shoulders.

The side of Beryl’s head bumps into that boring barbarian’s bicep. “Come on, my dearest love, can’t ya sound just a little enthusiastic~?”

A single blood-red brow is raised, a pair of emerald eyes peering down towards that tomboy. “About a festival that we missed out on?”

“About the idea o’ a festival tha’ we missed out on~!” Beryl playfully corrects her Draconic lover. “We could ‘ave made so many fun memories sharin’ sweet fairground treats and playin’ silly games~!”

“Oh?” A smirk tugs at the corners of this Drakling’s lips as she stares down at her Elf. “Were the memories that we made last night, with Rina, not enough for you~?” She can’t quite keep her tone sounding serious, but that hardly matters. “Are you being greedy for wanting more~? Selfish for excluding the others~?”

“So wha’ if Ah am~?” The teasing tomboy of an Elf presses up against the barbarian’s body, her pert breasts squishing against Krvavy in just the right way to make it abundantly clear that she isn’t wearing anything beneath this blue-green sundress.. “Are ya gonna... punish me~?”

“Hmm... Tempting. Very, very tempting~...” Krvavy exaggeratedly taps a finger onto her chin and considers that idea. “We’ll be spending the night with Rina again, so I could have you sit that out... Being made to just watch and not participate at all would be quite the punishment, wouldn’t it~? Or... Maybe you can join in, but we keep you from feeling what that toy feels~? That would be quite frustrating, wouldn’t it~? Doing all of the work without getting any of the reward~.”

“So cruel~...!” The Wood Elf woman dramatically gasps, a rosy hue colouring her caramel cheeks. “Is there anythin’ Ah can do ta earn yer mercy~?”

Rather than immediately respond, Krvavy gently cups her sweet berry’s chin, the tip of her thumb brushing over Beryl’s lips. “Well~...” she bows her head down, “maybe, just maybe, a kiss would change my mind~?”

Beryl doesn’t even need to think about that, almost jumping up so that she can lock lips with her Draconic lover. “Mwah~!” Those blue-green eyes of hers shine with a playful light as she pulls away. “Was tha’ enough, or would ya like another~?”

“I –” Krvavy abruptly cuts herself off. Her own cheeks flush a deep red as she remembers where they are: in the middle of a busy street.

“Is there a problem, my dearest love~?” Beryl shamelessly teases that embarrassed barbarian. A wide, smug grin spreads across her face as she gazes up at Krvavy, not even bothering to hide her obvious amusement.

Krvavy takes a deep breath and does her best to maintain her composure.

“Maybe these crowds aren’t all tha’ bad after all~.” The tomboyish Elf boldly trails a hand across the barbarian’s buff belly, caressing those uncovered abs with her dexterous fingers. “Ah don’t think Ah’ve ever ‘ad an easier time turnin’ yer teasin’ back onta ya~.”

The deafening drumbeat of this Drakling’s heart skips a beat. But that flustered fact goes ignored. “Come on, we’re almost done shopping...”

“Oh~? Tryin’ ta act like nothin’ ‘appened~?” Beryl’s intimate touching turns into a playful prod as she pokes her lover just below the ribs. She stifles a laugh as an arm wraps around her shoulders, helping to herd her down the street. “Are ya leadin’ me somewhere more private~? Ah wouldn’t mind ‘elpin’ ya relieve some stress in a back alleyway, like some sort o’ common harlot~. Wha’ do ya say, my dearest love~? Is tha’ wha’ ya want~? Is it~? Is it~? Come on, ya can tell me~!”

Krvavy’s face continues to burn with a bright blush as she struggles to ignore her Elf’s teasing.